Automatic apparatus for distributing pulverized fuel.



W. O. RENKIN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.19I8. I 1,801,168.. Patented Apr. 22,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I nvehfoz WI 0. RENKIN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FORDISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 w.'0. RENKIN. AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTINGPULVERIZED FUEL.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. I913- 1,301,168.

n O G 0 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

3513 $3 aHo'm w WILLIAM O. RENKIN, OF ORADELL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOQUIGLEY FURNACE SPECIALTIESCQ, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. RENKIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Oradell, county of Bergen, State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Apparatusfor Distributing Pulvcrized Fuel, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates generally to apparatus for transporting anddistributing finely divided or liquid materials from a main supply ordistributing point to a num-berof different localities for temporarystorage or immediate consumption, but finds its most advantageousapplication to apparatus for the transportation of pulverized coal bymeans of'compressed air such as is described in U. S. Patent No. 1,177,045 to Magarvey et aL, dated March 28, 1 916.

When using apparatus such as described in said patent it is difficultfor the operator at any point of consumption and local storage to tellwhether he has a sufiicient quantity of fuel on hand, or whether heshould telephone into the distributing station for an additional supply.Also the local operator is liable to forget or make mistakes and allowhis supply to run below the safe reserve point, and then, when he sendsa hurry call for an immediate supply may find that another stationnearer the source of supply is drawing and that he cannot get the,prompt attention he requires. My present lnvention overcomes thesedifliculties by rendering the operation of the local switching apparatuspractically automatic and connecting it up with the supply station by aset of automatic signals so that all the supply operator has to do is tokeep on sending out material along the line as long as 'the signals showthat any local storage bin is below a predetermined point of repletion,while the local operators have nothing whatever to do with the fuelsupply but can give their undivided attention to their fires and thesecuring of the desired rates of combustion in the furnaces under theircharge at their respective stations. My invention accomplishes this bymountlng each local bin on a yielding support and connectmg it toswitching and signaling devices so that when Specification of LettersPatent.

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING PULVERIZED FUEL.

Patented Apr. 22, 11919.

Application filed July 29, 1918. Serial No. 247,268.

the reduction of weight in a given local bin allows it to rise to agiven point, the switch valve connecting that bin with the main supplyconduit is automatically opened and a special signal at the supplystation is operated to show the central operator that coal is needed atsaid local station. Such signal thereafter remains in operation untilthe local bin is refilled to a predetermined extent which causes it to!sink on its yielding supports far enough to shut its switch valve andreopen the line to more distant'stations, information of which fact isconveyed to the central operator by the extinguishment of the signal.The best form of apparatus at present known to me' embodying myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of drawings inwhich,

Figure 1 is a side elevation and diagram of the supply station and onelocal station or apparatus for consumption, and connections, parts beingbroken away.

Fig. 1 is a similar view of the plants at two more local stations which,together with those shoWn in Fig. 1, constitute a complete plant.

- Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail View showing one of theyielding supports for one of the local bins, and the compressed airvalve, and valve actuating apparatus connected thereto. i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary left hand portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a part of the supportingapparatus for the local bin at the end of the transportation line, and

plan view of the valve.

.. Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate likeparts.

. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic detail of the air by means of compressed airadmitted under the control of valve 4, and by manipulation of thecontrol lever 3, all in the manner described in the pending applicationof Hang Arthur Kimber, Serial No. 214,755, file January 31, 1918. Themain conduit 5, extends to a storage bin 210, at the end thereof and atvarious points there are branch conduits 12, 112, leading to storagebins 10, 110,

620. At the junction of each branch conduit with the main line conduitthere is switch valve 11, or 111, or other means for controlling passagethrough the branch conduits.

Preferably the switch valve is of the construction shown and describedin my pending application Serial No. 214,750, filed January 31-, 1918.Under each storage bin, or properly connected thereto, are controllers6, 6, which deliver regulated quantities of the material in the storagebins to the furnaces served by them. Said controllers are preferably ofthe construction shown in my pending application Serial No. 204,788,filed November 30, 1917 and are driven through the belt and pulley andcountershaft system 8, 8, or other suitable driving apparatus, fromelectric motors 7, 7, supported from the bins. 9 is a compressed airpipe extending along the main line conduit 5, and primarily designed tosupply compressed air to the conduit at various points when necessary toclear the same of accumulated material. By my invention the compressedair in this pipe 9, is also used to automatically operate the switchvalves controlling the supply of material to the various storage bins.

According to my present invention the various storage bins (as beforeexplained) are mounted upon yielding supports so that each bin rises orfalls slightly as the weight of its contents varies. This verticalmotion of the bin I utilize to operate an air valve which controls thesupply of compressed air 'to a pneumatic motor device which operates theswitch valve controlling the supply to that particular bin and alsotelltale mechanism for notifying the operator of the system stationed atthe supply tank when each particular bin is filled or empty.

The preferred form of apparatus for carrying out this general scheme ofoperations here illustrated comprises the following described mechanism:Referring to Fig. 1, a valve lever 13, mounted on the spindle of theswitch valve 11, for storage bin 10, and carrying switch points 14, tocooperate with fixed switch points, forms a circuit controller for theelectric circuit 3335, the wire 35,

constituting a common return for all the circuits for all of the bins.This valve lever at its other end is connected to a pneumatic motorconsisting of the trunk piston 17, reciprocating between the verticallyarranged cylinders 18, 18, and forming air tight joints therewith bymeans of the outside stufiing boxes 19, 19. The lower cylinder 18, isconnected by a pipe 24, to one port of the controlling valve 20, whilethe upper cylinder 18, is connected by the pipe 23, to the opposite portof said valve 20. Compressed air from pipe 9, is delivered to valve 20,through pipe 21, and passes either through passageway 20, to pipe 24(see Fig. 6), while pipe 23, is connected by passageway 20", to exhaustport 21, or through passage 20, to pipe 23, while pipe 24 is similarlyconnected to the exhaust port 21, by passage 20 To enable the bin torise and fall under variations in the weight of its contents, I supportthe same preferably upon a sill frame 37, provided with vertical guides38, by which the bin is compelled to rise and fall in a vertical lineon'the supporting cams 41 and 42. These cams are fast on shafts 47 and48, which are journaled on base frame 39. There are four of them foreach bin, two on each shaft. Theshafts 47, 48, have oppositely extendingcrank arms 43 and 44, which are connected by' connecting rods 45,adjustable b means of turn-buckle 49. The cams have anges 15 and 16,which overlap the sill 37, and thus prevent lateral movement of the bin.One or more of the cams are supported by stiff, compression springs 40,which are bedded at their lower ends in the supporting base frame 39,and .at their upper ends have a flexible connection 46, of the ball,andsocket type, with the under surfaces of the cam flanges. As theresult of this construction the cams rotate synchronously under thecontrol of springs 40, and slightly raise or lower the bin as thevariations in the weight of its contents permit or compel the springs40, to expand or contract. The bin is of course supplied with some kindof a flexible connection to the conduit system, as indicated at5()..

v The preferred mechanism for enabling the movement of the bin tooperate the controlling air valve 20, consists as shown, of an extendedcam flange 31,, provided with laterally projecting pins 32, 32, whichengage either side of the lever126, which is fast upon the spindle 25 ofthe valve 20. This constitutes a lost motion connection between camshaft 47 and valve'20. To make the action of the valve complete andpractically instantaneous I employ any convenient form of snap mechanismfor supplementlng v reduce mid position, the spring 27 is in line withfrom one pin 32, to' the other. This action is assisted, and undesiredreverse action prevented, by cooperation of the wedge-shaped springplunger 29, cooperating With. the wedge shaped nose 30, on the valvespindle or valve lever. 22 is the housing supporting the valve 20, andis mounted on the base frame 39. i

The operation of the valve 20, by the described mechanism is such thatduring the first half of the up or down motion of the bin the calmflange lost-motion connection slowly closes the valve ports formerlyopen and moves valve 20, through a little over half its proper travel,during the latter and greater portion of-Which travel the ports areblanked. I As the valve passes its point of mid travel (which occurs atthe end of the bin travel) the snap mechanism comes into action andquickly finishes the valve motion, throwing itinto reverse position sothat the other ports are opened.

The storage 'bin at some pointof its connection to the supply conduit isprovlded with a relief opening,,as 51, through which surplus materialmay be discharged into the atmosphere, if the apparatus continues tosend material after the-storage bin is full. 36, represents a source ofelectric energy for the circuits 33, 133, 233, &c., in which circuitsare located incandescent lamps or. othertelltale devices 34, 134, 234,in such position as to be within the view of the operator of the supplytank.

A second branch storage tank 110 is mounted on similar cams 141, 142,fast on V shafts 147, 148, journaled in base frame 139,

bin has a relief opening 151.

and connected by connecting rod 145. The bin rests upon these cams bymeans of the sill frame 137. provided with vertical guides 138, and thecams are supported by compression springs 140. provided with the balland socket bearing 146, on certain of the cams. Air is supplied tothecontrol valve 120, through branch12l, from compressed air pipe 9, andthrough this valve is distributed by pipes 123 or 124, to the cylinders118, of the pneumatic motor comprising the doubleended trunk piston 117,working through stuiiing boxes 119, 119, to vibrate valve lever 113,which carries the circuit breaker 114, and operates switch valve 111, tocontrol the passage to branch conduit 112. This Of course there may beas many of these branch storage bins as any particular plant requires.

The end storage bin 210, has similar yielding supports, the parts beingmarked 241, 242, 800., corresponding to parts 141, 142, etc, of bin 110,but as there is no switch 'mon return wire 35. This bin valvecontrolling its connection with the main line conduit, this last-bin 15not provided with any control device such as the alt valve 20, and ismerely provided with a circuit controlling device for'operating itstelltale at the sending station. As shown,

this circuit controlling device comprises a "stationary arc-shapedcontact piece 257, to

which the wire 233 is connected, and a 00- operating contact button 258,carried by the earn flange 215, and connected to the comis provided withthe relief opening 251.

The operation of the system, with m automatic attachment abovedescribed, is as follows: The drawings represent the first storage bin10, in one of the position as-.

sumed while itis being filled. That is to say, the bin is slowlysettling as the springs 40, are compressed by the increasing weight ofthe material delivered from the supply tank 1, through the main lineconduit 5, open switch valve '11, and branch conduit 12, to the bin. Theopen position of the as i switch valve results in the closing of the.

circuit cont-roller 14, so that current from the source. of supply 36,passes through closed circuit 33-35, and cause lamp 34 to glow. 'As thebin continues to sink downward and the extended cam flange 31 swingsdownward correspondingly, it upper pin 32 drives the valve lever 26,before it until the bin is filled to the proper degree, at which momentthe position of the'bin permitted 7 by the compression of springs 40,and the resulting position of cam flange 31, andlever arm 28, should bejust sufficient to carry the tension spring 27, of the snap actionmechan'ism past the axis of valve 20, so that after pulling valve lever26 away from upper pin 32, it will operate to snap said lever downagainst the lower pin. 32, in the position shown in Fig. 2, thuscompletely reversing valve 20, i. e. throwing it into the reverse of theposition shown in full lines'in Fig. 6. This places valve passages 20"and 20 in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and admitscompressed air through pipe 23,

and valve passage 20, to the upper cylinder 18, while the lower cylinder18, is connected through pipe 24, and passage 20 in the valve to theexhaust 21*. As the result the switch valve 11 is closed, the main lineconduit 5,

a and closing off the pipe connections 23, 24,

the air thus trapped in cylinders 18, 18,

holding the pneumatic motor in its assumed the original position shownin full lines in Fig. 6, which will reopen switch valve 11, closecircuit controller 14, and cause the bin to be refilled, as beforedescribed- The bin 110, is shown in its lowermost position, indicatingthat it is full. Its valve lever 126, is down, showing that the controlvalve 120, is in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Itscircuit 133-35 ,is open, being broken at 114, and accord- -'inglytelltale lamp 134, is extingulshed,

which signifies to the operator that the bin is either full or beingdischarged.

The switch valve 11, having been opened 5 to line, as previouslydescribed, by the filling of the bin 10, as soon as switch valve 111, isalso opened to line by closing. off branch conduit 112, materialwillpass on through the entire length of the line conduit 5, to the end bin210.. This state of affairs will be indicated to the operator at thesending tation by the continued glowing of the lamp 234, after lamps 34and 134 have gone out. As the bin 210 sinks through the action of theincreased weight of its contents, the contact button 248, on the camflange 215 (see Fig. 5) travels downward over the stationary contactstrip 237, maintaining the circuit 23335 in operation and keeping lamp234 glowing. When the bin 210 has been filled, however, to thepredetermined point it will have forced cam 241 down far enough so thatbutton 248, will have run off 4 the lower end of contact strip 247, asindicated in Fig. 5. This willbreak the circuit 23335 and cause the lastlamp 234 to go out and indicate to the operator at the sending stationthat all the bins are-filled. The

operator will then of course shut down on his sending apparatus bymanipulating control lever 3, and ultimately closing off compressed airvalve 4.

v If the operator does not do this, the material will begin to blow offthrough relief opening 251, from the overfilled bin 310, and somebodywill very'soon call the operators attention to his omission.

The moment any one or more of the'bins is emptied to the prearrangedextent its telltale lamp will begin to glow again and the operator willresume sending and continue to send out material until all of the lampsare extinguished. The operator, or a visiting inspector, can at any timetell the condition of the entire system by observing the telltale lamps.Each glowing lamp shows that its corresponding bin is being filled orneeds fillingQ-the bin nearest the supply tank being in process offilling, and those farther away awaiting their turn. Each extinuishedlamp shows that its correspondmg in is either full or in process ofdischarging. All the operator'has to do is to watch the lamps, startsending material when any one lamp lights up, keep on sending materialas long as any lamp glows, and shut down when all are againextinguished.

Any convenient form of indicator may be connected to the springsupported storage bins which indicators will be operated by the up anddown movements of the bins to show their conditions of relativeemptiness or fullness. Thus, in Fig. 1', I have shown pointers 160 and260 rojecting radially from shafts 147 and 24 and cooperating withcurved index strips or gages 161 and 261, which can be markedempirically in divisions of tons or other units. When one of the bins,as 210, is nearly empty, its indicator 260 will point at one of thegraduations near the zero end of scale 261. When oneof the'bins, as 110,is full, its indicator 160 will point toward the other end of its scale161.

Having described my invention, I claim:

' 1. In a device for automatically controlling the fiow ofmaterial to astorage bin, the combination with a main line conduit and means fordriving material therethrough, branch conduits therefrom, a valvecontrolling each branch conduit, and a' storage bin at the'end of eachbranch conduit, of a yielding support for each such storage bin, andmechanism connecting each bin and its valve, whereby the downwardmovement of a'loaded bin tends to close the valve controlling its branchconduit and the upward movement of an emptied bin tends to open saidvalve.

2.' The combination with a vertically movable and mechanism forraisingand lowering the same, of a reversing member operated by saidmechanism, comprising a swinging arm, a lost motion connection betweensaid swinging arm and the bin, and independent means for completing theallowable travel of said arm in'either direc= tionafter the lost motionconnection has moved it through and beyond the point of mid travel. a

3. The combination with-a vertically'movable bin and mechanism forraising and lowering the same, of a reversing member op-v erated by saidmechanism, comprising a swinging arm, a lostmotion connection betweensaid swinging arm and the bin, and independent means for completing .theallowable travel of said arm in either direction after vthe'lost motionconnection has moved it through and beyond the point ofmid travel, saidmeans comprising a spring fastened atone end to a at the other to theswinging a set of connected fixed support and arm at a point on theother side of its-pivot. l

4. The Combination with a vertically'mov, able bin and mechanism forraising and lowerlng the same, of a reversing member op eratedby saidmechanism, comprising a swinging arm, a lost motion connection betweensaid swinging arm and the bin, and independent means for completing theallowable travel tion after the lost motion connection has moved itthrough and beyond the point of mid travel, said means comprising asprin fastened at one end to a fixed support an at the other to theswinging arm at a point on-the. other side shaped projection in the hubof the swing ing arm, and a wedge spring-pressed toward the axis of'thearm'pivot and cooperating with the opposing wedge-shaped projection onthe ar 5. In a device for automatically controlling the flow of materialto a series ofstorage bins, the combination with a main line conduit andmeans for driving material of said arm in either direc of its pivot, a.wedge-v therethrough, branch conduits therefrom, a

valve controlling each branch conduit, and a storage bin at the end ofeach branch conduit, of a yielding -support for each such storagebin, afluid pressure motor connected to each of the valves, a valvecontrolling each of said motors, and operating connections from the binsto said motor controlling valves.

6. In a system for transporting finely divided materials by compressedair through pipes, the combination with a supply tank, a main lineconduit extending from said tank, a series of storage bins, a branchfrom the main conduit to each of the storage bins, mechanism controllingthe passage through each branch, means for forcing by compressed airregulated portions through the conduits and means to automatically openany branch when the storage bin which it serv.es is nearly empty, and toclose the branch when the bin is nearly filled.

7 In an apparatus for transporting finely divided materials through asystem of connected pipes by the action of compressed air, thecombination with a supply tank, a main of material from the supply tank.

line conduit extendingfrom said tank and means for supplying alr underpressure to said tank, of a plurality of storage bins,'a. bran-chconduit from the main lineto each bin, independent automatic mechanismfor opening the passage through any branch conduit when the binconnected thereto is nearly empty and for closing it whensthe.

bin is nearly full, an electric circuit extend- Y ing from the vicinityof the supply tank to *each bin, a telltale device in each circuit pipesto any predetermined storage bin, of

a system of telltale devices one for each storage bin located withinview of the operator of the sending means, and connections controlled bythe amount of material in each bin automatically actuating saidtelltaledevices whereby the amount of material in each bin is indicated by itsrespective telltale device. a

9. In an apparatus for transporting finely divided materials through apipe by the action of compressed air the combination of a' supply tank,a storage bin mounted on yieldmg supports, a pipe extending from tank tobin, means for 'creating in the supply tank compressed air pressuressuflicient to force regulated amounts of the contained mate rial fromthe tank through the pipe to the bin, an electric circuit, a telltaledevice in said circuit within view of the operator at the supply tank,and a circuit controller for said circuit adapted to be operated by themovement of the storage bin On its yielding supports, under theinfluence ofthe varying weight of its contents.

10. In an apparatus for transporting finely divided materials through apipe by the action of. compressed air the combination of a supply tank,a storage bin mounted on yielding supports, a pipe extending from tankto bin, means for creating inthe supply tank compressed air pressuressufficient to force regulated amounts of the contained material from thetank through the pipe to the bin, a. telltale mechanism located withinview of the operator of the compressed air means, and connectionsactuated by the rise or fall of the storage bin under varying conditionsof load to operate said telltale device. 11; In a system for thetransportation of flowing materials the combination of a supply tank, aseries of storage bins, a system of closed pipes connecting the supplytank with each storage bin, a yielding support for each storage bin,means for forcing material from the supply tank through the pipes, andautomatic mechanism operated by the rise and fall of the respectivestorage bins controlling the connections from the pipes to the bins. 12.In a system for transportation of flowing materials by compressed airthe combination, with a supply station, a plurality of main lineconduit, and means .for forcing storage stations, each provided w1thblow-0E measured quantities of material from the 10 openings, amain lineconduit extending from supply station out through the conduits, of thesupply station-t0 the farthest storage yielding supports'for the storagebins, and

5 stations, branch conduits froni the main line mechanism actuated bythe rise and fall of conduit to the other and intermediate storeach binto operate the switch valve in its age stations, aswitch valvecontrolling the branch conduit..

junction of each branch conduit and the WILLIAM O. RENKIN.

